Brake-beam



(No Model.)

H. B. ROBISGHUNG.

BRAKE BEAM.

No. 466,984. Patented Jan. 12, 189-2.

7 NITED STATES HENRY B. ROBISCHUNG, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOTHE NATIONAL HOLLOIV BRAKE BEAM COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,984, dated January12, 1892. Application filed September 28, 1891. Serial No. 407,044. (Nmod l-l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. ROBISCHUNG,

a citizen of the United States, residing atKalamazoo, in the county ofKalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brake-Beams; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of atrussedbrakebeam embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlargedlongitudinal sections of part of a strut or post and transverse sectionof the compression member of the beam on line a: re, Fig. 1. Fig.4 is aView of a portion of the compression member of the beam, together with atransverse section of a portion of a strut or post on the line 3 y, Fig.2.

Like symbols refer to. like parts wherever they occur.

, My invention relates to improvements in trussed brake-beams, andespecially'to that class of trussed beams wherein the compression memberis cambered, and has for its object to take up the slack commonlyoccur-.

ring between the strut or post and the compression member, so as toobviate lost motion and any tendency of the compression member to twistor buckle and insure perfect coaction in the several members of thebeam.

In the construction of trussed brake-beamshavingcamberedcompressionmembersasnow commonly practiced the compressionmember is passed loosely through a collar on the inner end of the strutor post and the tension-rod is passed over a seat or through a slot inthe outer end of the strut or post, so that when the camber is put inthe beam more or less slack occurs between the collar on the strut andthe compression member of the beam,as indicated at a in Figs. 2 and 4 ofthe drawings. In using the brake-beam the braking power is applied bymeans of the brake-lever to the strut or post, and thence distributedthroughout the structure; but owing to this slack between the collar ofthe strut and the compression member the power is not uniformlydistributed at once, being first brought on the tension-rod and thenceon the com pression member until such time as the compression member hasmoved back (or the strut moved forward) into the position shown at b inFig. 3 of the drawings. The elfect of this slack and the movement of thestrut to take it up is to cause a twisting or torsional action of thecompression member, which sometimes produces a cross bending orbuckstrain incident to such initial movement of the strut, and such aconstruction or its equivalent embodies the main feature of myinvention.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to slot the beam-collar of thestrut at its inner side, or next to the strut proper, so as to inling ofsaid member, and always results in terpose the key or wedge between thefoot of the strut and the compression member of the beam, andI alsoprefer to form a wedge or key channel in the inner surface of saidbeamcollar, which matters of detail form minor features of theinvention.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that othersskilled in the artto which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the compression member, B the tensionmember, and C the strut or post, of a trussed cambered brakebeamprovided with the usual brake-heads D D. The strut or post 0 is providedwith a beam-collar 1, or collar which encircles the compression memberA, and this collar 1, I slot at opposite points, and in line with theinner surface thereof, as at a and b, for the reception of a curved keyor wedge 2, preferably arranging the said slots at the middle of thecollar, which may be provided with an annular rib 3, and also channelingthe inner surface of the collar, as at 1, to provide a wedge or keyseat. .5 2 indicates the taper key or wedge, which may be of wrought ormalleable metal and provided with a suitable head a to facilitate theinsertion and withdrawal of said key.

The parts composing the trussed beam are first set up, as indicated inFig. 1 of the draw ings, and are then given a camber and tcnsionslightly less than that ultimately desired. At this time the foot orinner end of the strut or post 0 will rest directly on the inner oradjacent surface of the compression member A, as shown in Figs. 2 and4-, and the slack a will exist between the beam-collar 1 and the outersurface of the compression member. The wedge or key 2 is then insertedin the slots a b and forced between the foot of the strut or post G andthe inner surface of the compression member A until the latter is forcedto its seat or bearing on the outer part of collar 1, as shown in Fig. 3of the drawings, which not only takes up the slack and lost motionbetween the compression member A and strut C, but gives the beam itsultimate camber and tension and insures the perfect coaction of theparts when the breaking power is subsequently applied to the beam, andthis without subjecting the compression member to twisting or torsionalstrain, and

2. In a cambered trussed brake-beam, the

combination,with the compression member, of a strut or post having acollar for the compression member, said collar provided with key-slots,and a key or wedge, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

$3. In a cambered trussed brake-beam, the combination, with thecompression member, of a strut having a slotted and channeled collaradapted to encircle the compression member, and a key or wedge,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I ai'lix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of September, 1891.

HENRY l3. ROBISCHUNG.

\Vitnesses: E. '1. WALKER, E. LEIGH.

